Ever After
by IsaacTheGreat
Summary: The final battle between the last living 12 members of SGRUB/SBURB and the various Jacks (as well as Condesce). Song: Ever After by Mariana's Trench


_Once upon a time  
I used to romanticize  
Used to be somebody, never mind_  
 _Don't miss it that much now_

You've always wanted to be a threshecutioner, for as long as you can remember. Well, past you did; not so much anymore. That's partly because of the demise of your planet, but who fucking cares. On good days, you would like to imagine your life as an adult, no one knowing your blood colour, and anyone who found out about it would be too scared to tell. Past you was a fucking idiot. Now you're stuck with the last 4 trolls in existence and 8 god damn angsty not-so-much teenagers. Lucky you. Fuck.

 _I think it's sinking in  
Days that I wonder where I've been  
In picture perfect porcelain  
But I won't lose a pound_

Thinking back on it, you never really fit in anywhere. If you were going to be completely honest with yourself, you would say you were fucking stupid for thinking being a threshecutioner was even possible. Now that your here, with these 12 douchebags, you feel more at home than you ever did on the sun-baked skin of Alternia. That has to count for something. You've tried to look back at the entire journey, just to see how the fuck you got to this point in your miserable existence, but honestly it's one huge clusterfuck you don't care to sift through even if you got paid the big boons to do it. As far as you're concerned, you are and always will be the same Karkat.

 _You say I would make a better liar  
And never face the music when it's dire  
And I breathe disaster, ever after  
Don't pull away from me now_

With how much you fuck up, you're surprised you have this many friends. Any normal person would hate you. Hell, _you_ hate you. It's a blessing though. You don't think you'd be able to survive this long without all of your friends. Yes, even crazy Gamzee chained up in a goddamn fridge. You hope you'll all make it through these final battles alive, so you can all finally go home.

 _Don't you move  
Can't you stay where you are, just for now  
I could be your perfect disaster  
You could be my ever after  
You could be my ever after, after all_

Dave volunteered to fight the Jack that has Lord Douchebag's powers, and that kind of scares you. You want to fight with him, but since you can't be brought back to life, (thanks a-fucking-lot Jane) you're stuck on this fucking toad lily or whatever. Maybe you can stall him? Maybe... No no no no no, stop it, don't be stupid. You just don't want him to get hurt.

 _I could be your perfect disaster  
You could be my ever after  
Apologies, I'm not myself but I can guarantee  
That when I get back, you won't believe  
That you knew me well_

You're going to fight. Fuck Vriska, fuck mortality, you're fighting with your friends. If they're gonna die, then you're gonna die with them dammit. Apparently you already died in the time line John and Roxy came from. You don't think being dead would be that bad; it'd probably be just like your years on the meteor but...dead. Yeah, not that bad.

 _Don't want to think about it  
I'm fuckin' tired of getting sick about it  
Now stand back up and be a man about it  
And fight for something, fight for something, fight for something, oh_

You need to suck it the fuck up. Everyone's taking off. Kanaya can take care of herself just fine anyways. You're going to fight for your dead friends. Fight to save the ones who are still standing beside you. The ones who still have a chance at life in a new universe.

 _I would make a better liar  
And never face the music when it's dire  
And I breathe disaster, ever after  
Don't pull away from me now_

You're not going to fuck this up. Everything will be fine and you will all make it out alive, and who knows, you might even get to tell Dave how you feel. You'll make it. You have to.

 _Don't you move  
Can't you stay where you are, just for now  
I could be your perfect disaster  
You could my ever after_

You decided to go with Dave. He didn't mind carrying you; he says you're light. You can see Jack-LE in the distance, all glowing and impudent. It makes you mad. You know he's not your Jack, but it's still a sore subject for you. Dave feels you tense up and tells you to chill, you guys got this. You nod and he lands on a nearby meteor along with Dirk, who showed up not too long ago. Jack-LE isn't that far off now.

 _Now you could be my ever after, after all  
I could be your perfect disaster  
You could be my ever after_

You're fighting for your friends. For the kids whose universe you fucked up. For Dave. Don't lose this Karkat.

 _Nobody told ya this is gonna fold ya  
We go marching in like toy soldiers  
To have and hold ya over sold ya  
They're marching like toy soldiers_

You knew he was going to be tough, but fuck. He's got you, Dirk and Dave backed into a metaphorical corner, and you're actually scared. You don't think you've been this scared since Gamzee went on his sober rampage. Dave looks bad, and Jane is still nowhere to be seen. You radio-d her over half an hour ago, and still nothing. Hopefully he can last the battle. Dirk's been trying to rip out his soul but he can't get the fucker to stay in one spot long enough to even try. But you have to make it. You have to.

 _Somehow don't you dare fail, fail me now, ever after  
Somehow don't you dare fail, fail me now, ever after  
Somehow_

It happens in slow motion. Jack-LE blasts Dirk. He's not as strong as LE himself, but he still knocks Dirk out, who lands on a meteor below. You're about to run to him when Dave gets up from where he was resting and sort of just... floats over to Jack-LE. He pulls out that Swedish/Norwegian/Whatever piece of shit and shoots you a smile before lunging at Jack. You scream at him to stop, but it's too late. Jack pulls a knife out and stabs him in the chest.

 _How ironic._ Is all you can think as red tears spill down your face and Dave crashes ten feet away from you. You run to him and are almost sick when you see the puddle of red around him growing fast. You kneel down next to him and turn him onto his back, taking the knife out of his chest. His sunglasses are cracked, and you gaze into sad red eyes.

You wipe your own eyes, trying to stay strong. Dave smiles sadly at you, his hand shakily brushing some of your hair behind your ear. You grasp his hand and hold it between yours, trying in vain to maybe transfer some heat or something to help him. He pulls you down to him and whispers in your ear before going completely slack, finally dead.

 _Once upon a time  
This place was beautiful and mine  
But now it's just a bottom line  
_

Reinforcements came just in time; for you anyways. Jake and Tavrossprite killed Jack-LE, having killed their own enemies, and took you (and the unconscious Dirk) back to the lily pad. Tavrossprite carried Dave. Everyone is cheering when you land, and all eyes are on you as you take Dave from Tavrossprite and lay him on the ground. You fucked up.

 _Barely comes to mind  
But ever after was mine_

You tear up as your mind plays what Dave said to you over and over in your head. You guys were so close, you could've been happy together. Now that will never happen.

 _I'll be your disaster, ever after  
So fire away  
_

"I love you, Karkat. Ever after."

 _Goodbye_


End file.
